Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Foxy Yonatasha.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Foxy Yonatashaxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yonatasha, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,907. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Yonatasha in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Foxy Yonatasha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Foxy Yonatashaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Foxy Yonatashaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.
3. Uniform and very freely flowering habit.
4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets.
5. Red-colored ray florets and bright yellow-colored disc florets.
6. Natural season flowering in mid September in the Northern Hemisphere.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yonatasha in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered several days later than plants of the cultivar Yonatasha when grown under natural season conditions.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yonatasha differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yonatasha had coral pink-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Hot Salsa, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,918. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and more rounded than plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three weeks earlier than plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa when grown in southern climates.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker red in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Red Temptress, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Red Temptress in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded than plants of the cultivar Red Temptress.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Red Temptress.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about four weeks earlier than plants of the cultivar Red Temptress when grown in southern climates.